Review by Booklist Review
*Starred Review* Well worth waiting for, this sequel to the Newbery Honor Book The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate (2009) offers a narrative full of secrets, revelations, and droll humor. In the spring of 1900, 13-year-old Callie, who continues to study science with her beloved, eccentric grandfather, spots a seagull 200 miles inland. Soon a deadly hurricane engulfs Galveston and sends two refugees their way: Callie's older cousin Aggie, who is traumatized, abrasive, and cagey; and Dr. Pritzker, a veterinarian who offers Callie unexpected opportunities. Meanwhile, her brother Travis enlists her help in caring for a series of unsuitable wild pets without letting their parents know. As the story unfolds, Callie begins to articulate goals for herself and take quiet, practical steps to achieve them. Character development progresses gradually, with Callie lying when it suits her but increasingly taking responsibility for her words and actions. She becomes more painfully aware of both the inequity of her place in the family and women's roles in society. The novel offers many pleasures, from its well-realized setting to its vividly portrayed characters, but the most irresistible is Callie's wry, observant narration. Readers will flock to this sequel for the pleasure of revisiting this beloved character and her world.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2015 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Six years after debuting in Kelly's Newbery Honor-winning The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate, the budding Texas scientist returns, as curious and charming as ever, and now preoccupied with fauna instead of flora. Travis, one of Callie's six brothers, continually needs her help because of his bad choices in pets (armadillo, blue jay, raccoon, etc.). Callie's training under the tutelage of her gruff, beloved grandfather continues with increasingly complex dissections. Meanwhile, the devastating 1900 Galveston hurricane sends refugees to Fentress that include an injured veterinarian, who finds an eager assistant in 13-year-old Callie, despite his reservations about a young lady working in an often gruesome field. Undeterred, Callie finds her passion at precisely the same moment she realizes how unfairly the deck is stacked against girls of her era. But if anybody can figure a way around studying the domestic arts, it's whip-smart Callie, literary cousin to Alan Bradley's Flavia de Luce, and just as sharp an observer. Happily, the episodic narrative leaves the door wide open for further adventures-if we're lucky. Ages 9-12. Agent: Marcy Posner, Folio Literary Management. (July) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-6-Calpurnia is turning 13 and realizing that she receives half as much allowance and education as her brothers, and her parents don't expect her to become anything other than a housewife. But Calpurnia's love of science and all things related to the natural world leave her yearning for a different future. An older female cousin who lands in their household following the devastating Galveston hurricane of 1900 unexpectedly helps Calpurnia begin to glimpse new possibilities for herself. Further, Calpurnia's escapades with the new vet, Dr. Pritzker, give her some direction as well as a way to earn money. Narrator Natalie Ross is magnificent, perfectly capturing the tone of the young Calpurnia, her family, and the secondary characters. Each has their own recognizable voice, making the narrative easy to follow as well as entertaining. The pacing is just right throughout, with pauses and changes in tempo in all the right moments. VERDICT Full of the ups and downs of growing up, this work will appeal to fans of The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate (Holt, 2009), as well as listeners who just love a good, character-driven story. ["Recommended for fans of the original novel and strong readers who enjoy character-driven narratives": SLJ 3/1/15 starred review of the Holt book.]-Deanna Romriell, Salt Lake City Public Library, UT © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
In this sequel to The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate (rev. 9/09), Calpurnias curiosity about science and her devotion to her scapegrace, animal-loving younger brother, Travis, make her useful to the towns new veterinarian, a refugee from the catastrophic hurricane that destroys Galveston, Texas, in 1900. Assisting Dr. Pritchard shows Callie a possible way to escape from the female domestic drudgery that looms as her future. Despite the soft-spoken, sweetly Southern narrative voicenot at all how I imagined rebellious Texan Callie would sound!Rosss smooth pacing and natural characterization draw listeners in to Callies world, ably evoking her unrefined brothers and the gruff, iconoclastic grandfather who mentors her scientific ambitions. Somewhat less successful is Rosss portrayal of Callies father and mother, whose stilted drawls are largely indistinguishable, while the chapter epigraphs from (the British) Charles Darwin are, confusingly, delivered in a neutral American accent. When the scientific nomenclature starts to fly, however, Ross dives in without hesitationa convincing touch that brings young naturalist Callie to life. anita l. burkam (c) Copyright 2015. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Thirteen-year-old Calpurnia Virginia Tate of turn-of-the-20th-century Texasintroduced in the 2010 Newbery Honor-winning The Evolution of Calpurnia Tateis more focused than ever on unlocking the secrets of the natural world. But Callie Vee has her hands full with her tender brother Travis, who never met a wild animal he didn't want to adopt (including a possibly diseased armadillo), and her ever exasperated mother, who wishes her one daughter among six sons would master the domestic arts instead of fixating on her Scientific Notebook and Charles Darwin (the source of the chapter-opening excerpts). In fact, of all Callie's daily trials, the hardest to stomach is the injustice of being treated as a "half citizen" just because she's a girl. But not to worry.Callie, the witty and sincere narrator, is "smart as a tree full of owls" and won't be denied her dreams of being a veterinarian or anything else she puts her mind to. Animal lovers will revel in the abundant anecdotes about the benevolent country vet and Travis' mangy strayssome heart-wrenching, some hilariouswhile learning plenty about nature ("from pond water up to the stars"), the deadly 1900 Galveston hurricane, and early Texas history as recounted by Callie's scholarly and beloved Granddaddy. A warm, welcome stand-alone companion to Kelly's lauded debut. (Historical fiction. 10-14) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
